Switching device for overhead trolleys.



. H. E. BALLARD. SWITCHING DEVICE FOR OVERHEAD TROLLEYS.

APPLIOATION FILED AYE. 11, 1912.

Patented July 16, 1912.

QM u JNVENTOR, Er/y 1 X Ballard 'A TTORNEY.

COLUMBIA PLANouRAPn c STAT a @E.

HARRY E. BALLARD, 0F QLYO E, MASSACHU ETTS, ASSIGNOB TO COBURN TROLLEYTRACK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF HQLYQKE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TIONOF MASSACHUSETTS. I

TEN

SWITCHING Device roe OVERHEAD TROLLEYS. i

1,032,368. Specification of Letters Patent Patented July 16, 1912.

Application filed April 11, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. BALLARD, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at I-Iolyoke, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in SwitchingDevices for Overhead Trolleys, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in switching devices for overheadtrolleys of the type in which the truck or carriage moves on thehorizontal webs of an I-beam.

The object of the invention is to provide means for quickly andaccurately shifting the movable track-section between the ends of themain end sections to permit the truck to pass from one track to another.

The switch is designed for a double-throw I-beam construction.

Broadly, the invention consists in providing a track-bar which is formedwith hollows and elevations so that the wheels which carry or supportthe swinging end of the movable track-section will always maintain theend of the movable track-section in exact registration with the end ofthe main sections; or, in other words to prevent the movable section ofthe track from coming to rest out of registration with the end of themain sections.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan-view of the invention showing theopposite ends of the main sections, the swinging section movable betweenthe ends of these sections, and the tie-rods for strengthening andconnecting together the ends of the main section. Fig. 2 is a sectionalview on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the construction of the tread-baron which the' supporting wheels of the movable track section move. Fig.3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1, showing the supportingrollers on the tread-bar, the tie-rods, the pivotal connection of themovable track section with the main section and the pull chains tooperate the movable section.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a designates an end of the mainsection of I-beam construction and Z), 0, and cl the oppositely locatedtrack sections with which the movable section 6 is designed to register;these .sections being formed of I-beam construction.

f designates pivot-pins Wl'llCll are carried Serial No. 689,989.

by the plates 9, that are riveted or otherwise secured to the upper andlower horizontal webs 2' and j of the movable section 6.

l0 designates a curved bar of channel iron that is riveted to the endsof the sections 5, c and (Z, as indicated at m, on its lower web 0. Itsupper web 70 is secured in place by means of the brace-bar 9 located atitscenter. The brace-bar q is secured at one end to the upper web r ofthe section 0 and at its other end to the upper web 72 of the curvedchannel bar 79 as indicated at 8. The outer ends of the bar 70 aresecured in place by means of the tie-rods t which extend rearwardly tothe fixed section a to which they are secured by means of the angle ironu.

Secured by means of the rivetshu to the web 0 of the channel iron 70 isa tread-bar o. This bar as shown in Fig. 2, is formed with elevationsand depressions o and o The swinging or movable section 6 is providedwith rollers which are spaced from each other a distance equal to thedistance between two of the depressions and elevations of the tread-bare, which distance is also equal to the distance from the centers of theend sections a, c and (Z, whereby the movable section 0 will alwaysexactly register with its desired section when the wheels 0 are in twoof the depressions v The elevations '0 between the depressionsautomatically cause the rollers :22 to descend by force of gravity tothe depressions o thus preventing the movable section from assuming aposition that does not register with either one of the end sections 6,c, or d.

The wheels or rollers 00 are secured to the movable section 6 by meansof the curved channel iron member 3 which is held in place by means ofthe brace 3 riveted thereto. The wheels are mounted on the stub shafts4.

Depending from the tie-rods t are hangers 5 in which are pivotallysupported the rollers 6 over which pass pull chains 7 to enable theoperator to move the section 6 so as to bring it into registration witheither one of the sections 6, 0 or (Z. From this construction it will beseen that the section 6 will automatically come to rest in registrationwith some one of the tracksections 6, 0 or d, regardless of the positioninwhich the section 6 is left by the operator, since the rollers 00will, by the force of gravity, cause the section 6 to be moved intoregistrating position with some one of the sections b, c, or (Z. Noaccident can therefore result from such a structure whereby a trolleytruck cannot become derailed.

In order to prevent a trolley truck from accidentally running ofi fromthe end of any one of the sections 6, 0 or (Z, stop plates 8 are securedto the plate :1 by means of the rivets 9. These plates, it will be seen,lie across the ends of the sections Z), c, or (Z, when not inregistration with the movable section 6, see Fig. 1.

hat I claim is 1. In a double-throw switch device, the combination withthe main track-sections, of a swinging section, means to automaticallyposition and maintain the swinging section in alineinent with the endsof the main track sections, said means comprising a tread-bar formedwith inclined sides which extend in opposite directions from an elevatedportion or point, and rollers on the movable section to engage said bar.

2. In a double-throw switch device, the combination with the maintrack-section's, of a swinging section, means to automatically maintainthe swinging section in alinement with the ends of the main tracksections, and means comprising a tread-bar formed with elevations anddepressions, and

rollers on the movable section to engage said bar, the rollers beingspaced from each other equal to the distance from one depression orelevation to the other which distance is equal to the distance from oneend section to the other.

8. A double-throw switch device having in combination with the ends oftrack sections,'a swinging section interposed between the ends of saidsections, a tread-bar secured to a plurality of track sections andformed with surfaces which meet in elevations and depressions, rollerdevices to engage the said surfaces of the track-bar and carried by theswinging section to automatically lock the sections in alinement witheach other.

4. In a switch device, the combination, main track-sections, a channelbar to secure a plurality of the sections together, a tread bar securedto the channel-bar, a swinging section, devices on the tread-bar andswinging section to automatically cause the two sections to alwaysregister with each other regardless of the position in which theswinging section is left.

HARRY E. BALLARD.

Witnesses KATHARINE I. GLnMoNs, HARRY W. BOWEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

